MONTREAL — With six games remaining in their regular season, the Ottawa Redblacks are fighting to move back into first place in the Canadian Football League’s East Division.

The Toronto Argonauts now occupy top spot with their 5-7-0 record, following Saturday’s 34-26 victory against the Edmonton Eskimos, who have lost five in a row. The last time Edmonton won was against Ottawa.

With a road game against the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday afternoon, the Redblacks have more to be worried about than first place, though. A loss to the slumping Als, who fired head coach Jacques Chapdelaine and defensive co-ordinator Noel Thorpe in week, would tighten up the race for a playoff spot. With a win, Montreal (3-8-0) would close within one point of Ottawa (4-7-1).

The Redblacks have beaten the Alouettes twice already this season by scores of 24-19 and 32-4. Last weekend, though, after riding a three-game winning streak, the Redblacks laid an egg at home against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. They were sluggish for 30 minutes and ended up losing 26-22.

“Anytime you lose, you want to get back onto the field and go,” Redblacks head coach Rick Campbell said. “Obviously this is a big game because it’s a team we’re competing directly against for a playoff spot.”

Serderius Bryant is fired up, too. Probably not a lot different than he is on most game days, though. Backing up, starting, standing in street clothes, Bryant is always a fast-talking ball of energy. Still, Sunday’s game wil be of particular relevance since he’s starting at WILL linebacker, the result of a coaching decision that sparked a series of events leading to the release of Khalil Bass, a free-agent signing by the Redblacks in the offseason.

Serderius Bryant will start at linebacker for the Redblacks against the Alouettes on Sunday in Montreal. Julie Oliver/PostmediaJulie Oliver /
Postmedia

“Man, it’s a big opportunity for me,” Bryant said. “I can’t wait to actually get out there and show what I can do.”

Bryant’s passion for football shows in his play.

“I love football,” he said. “I’ve been playing since I was five years old. When I was 18, football was the only thing I knew how to do, it’s the only thing I did when I was growing up. I couldn’t even drive a car or ride a bike. You have to to put in the effort if you want to be great.

“My energy, it’s contagious. I try to stay enthusiastic and keep my team pumped up. When the offence is on the field, I’m on the sidelines talking to the defence, getting everybody live.”

Having conversations, mostly one-sided, with players from the other side keeps the 25-year-old energized.

“It motivates me, it keeps me going,” he said. “I don’t have a problem with anybody on the field, I don’t want to hurt them, I don’t want to fight them. If I see them at a bar, I’ll probably buy them a drink. It’s one of those deals where you try to psyche them out a bit, make them think you have a problem with them. It’s just the competitive nature in me.”

Redblacks coaches like Bryant and what he brings to the table.

“He’s athletic, he can cover ground, he can play in space, he can fire around and make plays,” Campbell said. “He’s a good player and he keeps getting better.”

“I think they’re going to do a lot of what they do,” Campbell said. “They made a change literally at the beginning of their practice week. They have all the same players and a lot of the same coaches. We kind of know what to expect, they’re going to run the same stuff.”

“When coaches switch over, guys are playing for more than just a win. They’re playing for their jobs this year and next year,” Redblacks receiver Greg Ellingson said. “They still have a chance at the playoffs, so we have to create some separation so we can ensure ourselves of getting in the playoffs.”

‘Block their butts off’

The Redblacks offensive line has been under fire. Fair enough, a league-high 30 sacks allowed is something that must be fixed.

With centre Jon Gott out of the lineup Sunday, replaced by Alex Mateas, and with rookie Evan Johnson sliding in at left guard beside SirVincent Rogers, the Redblacks will try to keep quarterback Drew Tate on his feet. Tate’s the starter following a shoulder injury to Trevor Harris during last weekend’s loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The good news is that the Alouettes rank last in the nine-team Canadian Football League with just 17 sacks this season.

“I’m not happy with our record, I’m not happy with our play,” Redblacks offensive-line coach Bryan Chiu said. “When you see the starting quarterback out for a period of time, it’s disappointing. Offensive lines take pride in protecting their quarterback. They see their quarterback on the ground, I don’t have to tell them. They’re going to step up and block their butts off for Drew.”

THE END AROUND: It’s a different routine for players with an afternoon game, in this case 1 p.m. Said Ellingson: “You have to get up early, make sure you have fuel in your tank and make sure we’re ready to play a physical game.” … There will be a couple of chartered busloads of Redblacks fans sitting behind Ottawa’s bench on Sunday … Don’t read much into the fact that Arnaud Gascon-Nadon is listed as a backup at defensive end. Campbell called it a “procedural thing.” There will still be a rotation of defensive linemen.

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